this reminds me of a clip i saw (i think it was from the documentary MAXED OUT or maybe Religulous) of an evangelist telling the story of a couple in major debt. he said he asked the couple to show him their monthly spending. looking over the list, he immediately found the the problem. there was no money going to the church. he tells the couple "if you invest in god, he will invest in you." lo and behold, months later the couple is debt free...allegedly. THAT is the power of god.
Haha. my old baptist church used to use that exact "anecdote" in their once-per-month "TITHE M'FERS!" sermon. I'm pretty sure it's in the prosperity gospel handbook.
i'm sure he's a nice guy i'm sure we'd have tons of disagreement about the message of the Gospel i'm sure i'd have lots to say about Prosperity Gospel he preaches i'm sure he could afford to buy me lunch
I've listened to a couple of his books and I can see why folks may say he's got a strong self-help message. Personally I think he's taylored his way of preaching to get people to help themselves through God. Given that there are alot of folks out there that struggle with life and are searching for meaning, peace or just a better life in general, I think his message is a good one. He doesn't seem (to me) like one of those sleazebag evangelist's. In fact he's probably the only one that I do respect.
My wife has some serious problems with him for leading people astray, but some of her extended family who loves Joel were coming to visit from Cleveland. That made for some awkward conversation. If I were a Christian, I wouldn't like him. But, I'm not, so I don't have a serious problem with him. I wish he'd get some seminary education, but it'd be weird for him to do it now with an already-successful ministry.
no, he doesn't sell ads on his program - he actually has to buy the airtime on all the different networks his show airs on. I sometimes wonder if people really listen to Pastor Osteen at all before they criticize him. He NEVER preaches "give money to me and you'll prosper". His messages are based on "use sound judgement, wise decisions, and look to God when you make your decisions" and you'll be alright" He does back up his sermons with stories and passages from the bible. Its crazy that Christians and non-Christians alike criticize him for not "thumping" enough, especially when non-Christians hate bible-thumpers in general. He doesn't judge or look down on anyone & if you read the other thread, he said that we should love ALL sinners and embrace them, not shun them. If you go to his service, you will notice that he DOES provide an alter call for prayer and salvation at EVERY service - I know it is not shown on TV, but thats because TV is edited for a particular time slot (usually 30min - there is only 1 place I know of where you can watch the hour-long version of his service-Tuesday Nights on Daystar). I have met the Osteens a few times now, and I can assure you that they are as pleasant in person as they appear on TV - very very nice and considerate. You may or may not know it, but Lakewood is considered a "World Outreach"..they do support multiple missions and charitable causes all across the world and have done so for as long as I can remember (I went to Lakewood as a kid in the early 80's).
This was brought to my attention last week when a friend of mine was looking to apply for a job with Lakewood Church as a graphic designer. This is directly from the application.
It boggles my mind how some Christians can't be bothered to touch one single person's life and brighten their day, but will find ways to castigate and criticize a man who blesses thousands of people daily and has leads more people to Christ in a month than they will ever do in their lifetime. And you wonder who the "hypocrites" Jesus was referring to are.
Here's all I really need to know about Joel Osteen. He's written books that are supposedly about the Bible or God or the Gospel, and decides to plaster his grinning mug firmly on the cover. Show me another influential, God-fearing pastor/theologian who preaches sound doctrine that has EVER done this.
I know a guy who plays in their band. They take this kind of thing very seriously. I don't cuss around him. I've been trying to get my foot in the door there for years. I've heard those guys can pull 30K/year just working 2 days a week.
That's what I get from listening to him. It's all COMMON SENSE and what seems to be good choices. I haven't been forced to go to church to listen to his speeches or forced to buy anything or give any money. Who has? Sounds like somewhere I would like to work, as long as the pay is fair and justified. I see nothing wrong with it. Sounds like if you (or anyone applying) doesn't like what it says or doesn't want to adhere to those guidelines, just skip the application and try somewhere else. It is nothing really that should alarm anyone.
